After
by Master of The Blood Wolves
Summary: One-shot. Two friends process the aftermath of the Reaper War. Slight implication of romance.


**After**

 **Disclaimer: I have no rights to the Mass Effect IP.**

Joseph Ford collapsed to his knees at the crest of a broken section of highway and looked at the broken city skyline before him.

Two months.

That's how long it'd been since the Reapers had been deactivated, along with the Geth and various other AI on the planet and presumably the galaxy at large.

Two months since the most hellish fight of his life, eclipsing the holding action during the Geth's attack on the Citadel into insignificance, not to mention the numerous strikes, raids and operations he'd loaned his particular talents to over the past year.

"Hard to believe we made it, isn't it?"

Joseph looked up to see a Turian in battle scarred armour pausing at the top of the broken section herself.

"Yeah." He replied. "It's good to see the rebuilding effort under way as well." He replied, nodding to where scaffolding could be seen around some of the buildings. "If it's happening here, it'll be happening everywhere."

"You heard anything about the Relays?" Xerina asked. "Just more of the same coming from the Alliance." She said. "'Repairs are going slowly because no one's ever studied how the Relays were engineered.'" She quoted, doing her best mocking impression of whatever officer was on liaison with the Hierarchy forces on Earth.

The effect was odd with the way her subvocals rose and fell in a strange warbling cadence.

"Not a lot." Joseph admitted. "Sanders said that some promising leads have surfaced in the Mars Archives just the other day though." He added. "I'll take that for a Christmas miracle."

He looked to the sky again, then his head fell.

Even during the day, the Citadel hung as a reminder of the destruction and upheaval the war had left.

He wondered if his family had escaped. Or if they were among the ones still hiding in the haunted ruins of the once magnificent station.

"Is that why every human I've talked to today has been in such high spirits?" Xerina asked, taking in Joseph's change in demeanour.

"Yeah." He replied. "Well, that and it's starting to sink in we've won and we've survived and it's a convenient time for a victory party. The clean-up is pretty much done in some places and we buried the dead months ago." He gestured to a piece of rubble beside him and Xerina sat, gaze fixed on him as she listened. "I guess the other part of it is, with all the pain and destruction this past year, we need an excuse to try and forget. At least for a while." He said.

"I haven't seen a lot of gift giving." Xerina noted. "Isn't that part of the holiday?"

Joseph nodded as he continued surveying the city, noting where some parts already looked like they were almost ready to return to business.

"It is." He conceded. "But right now, no one really has anything to give." He explained. "Everything on the planet ground to a halt because of the war and there wasn't any import or export. Most anyone is doing from what I've heard is pooling rations for Christmas dinners. Oh and…"

He activated his omni-tool and went scrolling through the few news feeds operating on the planet, before pausing on the image of a single pine tree in the middle of a refugee camp.

Someone had done a credible job of decorating it, using items as disparate as detritus from the reconstruction effort to actual decorations, though where they'd come from was a mystery in its own right.

At its base, a collection of photos, eerily reminiscent of the memorial wall in the Citadel refugee camp had sprung up, interspersed with letters and notes left around the tree's small plinth.

"No one knows who put it there, but that's one of the bigger camps in London." He said.

He deactivated his omni-tool and they sat in silence for a long while.

"How are you doing?" Joseph asked, looking to Xerina with some concern.

She looked thinner and drawn. She had during the war as well, but now it was even more painfully obvious.

"I'm surviving." She replied. "Our supplies are holding for the moment and we've heard that Palaven and other worlds are recovering." She added. "Apparently it was only the active relays that were damaged, so there's debate over whether or not new relays should be open to try and find alternate routes to use to ship supplies."

Joseph nodded.

"Let's hope that lead gets Charon fixed then." He said distantly.

They lapsed into silence again.

"Have you heard any word about your father?" Joseph asked and was met with a head shake.

"Nothing." Xerina replied. "He was deployed to the fleet, but his ship wasn't deployed here, so I haven't heard anything. "I hope he's okay." She added softly. "What about your family?" She asked. "Did they…?"

"No idea." Joseph replied. "They're still trying to sort through the dead on the Citadel. But, no news is good news, I guess." He added, not quite being able to hide the trepidation he felt.

Xerina set her hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"If they got away, they would've headed towards Sur'Kesh." She said.

Joseph nodded glumly.

"I know." He replied. "I just hope they didn't get caught by that blast in FTL. It did a number on the _Normandy_ apparently, which is why it was missing all the last two months. I'd hate to think what it'd do to a civilian ship." His omni tool pinged and he opened it, reading the short text message, before killing it again.

"That was Felicity." He said, referring to one of his former classmates and a fellow Biotic. "She's organising a bit of a get-together and even managed to find someone who can allegedly cook dextro. You up for a party?" He asked.

Xerina nodded.

"It'll make a nice change from spending time in the barracks." She said. "It's too easy to dwell."

Joseph stood.

"I hear that." He replied, offering his hand which Xerina took as they started back down the slope. "Maybe invite some of your men?" He suggested. "I'm sure they'd appreciate it."

"I just might." She replied. "And what shall we do afterward?" She asked, catching his eye with a smirk.

"I'm sure we'll think of something." He replied, meeting her smirk with a small smile.

 **Merry Christmas to all my readers.**

 **I might do a version of this vignette focusing on Shepard and how they deal with the aftermath of the Reaper War, but this particular one-shot deals with two RP characters of mine processing the aftermath.**

 **Be that as it may, to all my readers, have a safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.**


End file.
